Game Review – The Lion’s Song (Nintendo Switch)

The Lion’s Song takes place in Austria around the time of World War I and is a narrative ‘chose your adventure’ game. You have 4 chapters to complete; each chapter you play as a different character, and you learn that each of them is intertwined in a very thought out story.

The first chapter you are an up and coming composer, named Wilma, suffering from writer’s block. You start off just after a concert, where your teacher assists in your writer’s block by sending you to his cabin. While there you will gain assistance from someone you did not expect and will find out more about them later in the game.

The second chapter you are playing as an up and coming painter named Franz. Franz paints each subjects layer’s, this leads to complications later on. He is struggling with blackouts and as you progress you meet a young mathematician that you paint (you will learn more about this person in chapter 3). While in the middle of painting the mathematician, he storms out in the middle of the session and you do not see him again. Each time you paint you black out, you seek assistance in these and find out what is truly bothering you and reach your full potential.

In chapter three you play as the young mathematician (Emma or Emil) you met in the previous chapter. Little did you know that he is a she and she is struggling to gain momentum in a man’s world. She dresses as a man to gain assistance and the respect she deserves.

Chapter four links all of the previous character’s and is appropriately called closure. Here you board a train with 3 strangers. First you meet Theodor and learn more about Emma/Emil. When you speak to Paul you find out what happens to Franz after the chapter concluded. Finally you speak with Wilma’s brother; Otto; where you learn how she was first discovered. This is the order that I spoke to the individuals, but it can be done in any order.

Once you have spoken to all 3 men they then turn the questions to you, and you learn where the train is headed – a military camp – I won’t say anymore as to not give away too much of the story.

When you have completed each of the chapters you get your stats as to how you answered/responded to main items in the story line versus how others have answered/responded. You are also able to go back and redo a chapter and chose different responses and see different outcomes; this allows for the game to have a high replay-ability.

The graphics of the game fit the time era and assists in setting your mind. The story line was sometimes difficult to get through and was a bit complicating. I got stuck numerous times and there was no guidance in what to do next and it got a bit frustrating but putting the switch down and coming back to it really helped. The sound track for the Lion’s Song is very classical and calming – fitting the era perfectly.

Overall, I thought the game was decent. I originally thought of my teenage girls for this game, neither of them have played it to date but I am sure once the chaos of summer is over they will jump right on it.

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A game about 4 individuals intertwined in the early 20th century

A smart game where your choices affect how the game unfolds in later chapters.